Conveyer.



No. 809,316. PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906. J. W. MAGKIN. OONVBYEB.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 24, 1903.

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No. 809,316. PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

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GONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1903.-

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JOHN w. MJAQKIN, or oHIcAeoILLINoIs, AssIeNoR TO CHESTER T.

. DRAKE, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CONVEYER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application filed January 24, 1903. Serial No. 140,343.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. MAoKIN, 'a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State oflllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Conveyers; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates in general to conveyers, and more particularly to endless conveyers provided with a series of buckets to receive and carry the material.

' In the use of conveyers for carrying material consisting in lumps or broken pieces considerable difliculty is experienced by reason of the pieces of material falling from the buckets upon the conveyer and becoming wedged into the links of the conveyer-chain, which often results in the breaking of the chain or in choking up the conveyer so as to render it inoperative.

Theprimary object of my invention is to provide a conveyer of the endless-chain bucket type in which the surface between the buckets is smooth and free from openings, so that any pieces of material falling upon the conveyer between the buckets will not become wedged in links of the chain, but will be guided by the smooth surface into the lower buckets.

A further object of my invention is to provide a conveyer of the type referred to in which the edges of the buckets are flush with a smooth surface supported upon the links of the conveyer-chain between the buckets and in which the smooth surface consists in sectinuous flanges at the sides thereof and smooth hereinafter with reference to the accompany-' ing drawings, in which the same is illustrated as embodied in a convenient and practical form, and in which Figure 1 is an elevational view; Fig. 2, a central vertical section; Fig. 3, a front elevational view of the conveyer with the hopper in section on line 3 3, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a sectional detail view on an enlarged scale; Fig. 5, a sectional view on line 5 5, Fig. 4; Fig. 6, a view similar to Fig. 4 of a modified form of bucket, and Figs. 7 and 8 elevational and cross-sectional views of a modified embodiment of my invention.

Similar reference characters are used to indicate similar parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Reference-letter A indicates a support of any suitable construction upon which is mounted ahopper B. A and A indicate side frames, in which are journaled the opposite ends of the shafts C and G which support the conveyer.

Fixed upon each of the shafts C and (J is a pair of sprocket-wheels D and D respectively. The sprocket-wheels in each pair are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the width of the conveyer. The conveyer comprises pairs of links E and E the opposite ends of which are pivotally secured to the adjoining links. The adjacent ends of the links preferably overlap each other, so as to constitute continuous vertical flanges at either side of the conveyer. The pairs of links are united to each other and to the adjoining links by means of rods 6, passing through registering openings in the overlappingends of the links. The rods 6 are engaged by grooves cl, formed on the peripheries of the sprocketwheels D and D It is obvious that the distance between the grooves on the sprocketwheels is equal to the distance between the rods 6. The inner surfaces of the links E and E are provided with horizontally-projecting flanges e and 6 The flanges e and e are disposed in the arc of a circle and are located a slight distance below the outer edges of the links E and E Supported upon the flanges e and e on eachpair of links is a plate F or a bucket Gr. The plates F and bucketsG are curved to conform to the curvature of the supporting-flanges to which they are secured by any suitable fas-. tening devices. The plates and buckets are provided With overlapping edges f and f so that at no time in the path of movement of the conveyer does an opening exist between the adjacent edges of the plates and buckets. The buckets are provided with side flanges g and g*, by means of which they are supported upon the flanges e and e on the links E and E The length and width of the plates correspond to the length and widtlr of the buckets. Consequently they are interchangeable, so that any desired arrangement thereof on the supporting-links may be made. In the drawings a single plate is shown interposed between adjacent buckets; but it is obvious that, if desired, two plates may be supported between adjacent buckets, or, on the other hand, the buckets might be secured to adjacent links without the intervention of plates.

When it is desired to employ buckets smaller in size than those which would completely fill the space between the opposing flanges a and e on the links, a plate F may be provided, having a center opening of the size desired for the bucket, the bucket G being secured to the plate beneath the same by means of laterally-projecting flanges, as clearly shown in Fig. 6.

The position of the sprocket-wheels with respect to the hopper B is such that each bucket in turn is carried upwardly from the lower edge of the hopper, and thereby filled with the material which has been placed in the hopper by any suitable means. The edges of the hopper adjacent to the conveyer extend within the portions of the links which project above the surfaces of the plates and buckets, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, thereby retaining the material against the conveyer and preventing the same from passing between the edges of the side walls of the hopper and the surface of the conveyer. An apron 5 extends clownwardly from the lower edge of the hopper and conforms in curvature to that of the buckets and plates, thereby preventing the material from falling from the bottom of the hopper during the intervals when the buckets are passing from beneath the hopper into position to receive the material therefrom.

Any suitable power connection may be provided for moving the conveyer-such, for instance, as a sprocket or gear wheel C, fixed upon the shaft C H indicates achute, which may be supported in any desired manner aS, for instance, by brackets it secured to the form which supports the conveyer.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have illustrated a modified embodiment of my invention, in which the lower edges of the pairs of parallel links E and E are curved to engage circularfianges formed on the exterior faces of the guidewheels D and D The circular flanges 652 on the pair of guide-wheels D which are fixed upon the upper shaft project beneath the pairs of links and serve to support the links Similar flanges d are provided on each of the.

pair of guide-wheels D, fixed upon the lower shaft 0. The curvature of the flanges d and (Z corresponds to the curvature of the lower edges of the pairs of links. Consequently the links are evenly guided at both ends of the conveyer-frame and the vibration of the conveyer, which would otherwise result when the grooves on the guide-wheels engage the rods connecting the pairs of links, is thereby avoided.

In Fig. 7 it will be further noted that the hopper B extends to a point slightly below the horizontal plane of the shaft 0. Consequently each bucket is forced into the material in the hopper as it passes from the lower edge thereof upwardly. In other words, the lower guide-wheels D project slightly within the adjacent side of the hopper, so that the path of movement imparted to the buckets insures their being completely filled with the material in the hopper.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The material which is to be carried by the conveyer is deposited in the hopper B, and owing to the downwardly-inclined lower wall of the hopper the material falls into contact with the conveyer. As each bucket moves upwardly from the bottom of the hopper it receives the material and carries the same to the top of the conveyer. As each bucket passes around the upper sprocket-wheel the material falls by gravity therefrom and into the chute H, by means of which it is delivered to the desired point of use.

When the material consists in lumps or broken piecesas,for instance,-coal or crushed stone-the plates interposed between the buckets prevent the pieces of material from becoming wedged in the chain of the conveyer, and should pieces of the material fall from the filled buckets they would be guided by the plates into the following buckets. The size of the buckets serve to measure a quantity of the material and by regulating the number of buckets any desired amount of material may be conveyed by each movement of the conveyer through its path and delivered into the chute.

When the buckets G are larger than desired, they may be readily replaced by buckets G, the latter being made any desired size by varying the size of the opening through the supporting-plate F.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that I have invented an improved conveyer in which a continuous smooth surface is provided between the buckets and in which the number of buckets may be. readily increased or decreased. It will be further observed that I have provided a conveyer in which buckets of various sizes may be used, the upper edges thereof being flush with a continuous smooth guiding-surface, thereby thoroughly protecting the conveyer-chain from injury by reason of pieces of material becoming wedged therein.

. While I have described more or less precisely the details of construction, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form, the proportion of parts, and the substitution of equivalents, as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a supportingframe, of guide-wheels journaled at the top and bottom of said frame and located out of vertical alinement, an endless conveyer passing around said wheels and comprising buckets and intermediate plates having overlapping adjacent edges, the tops of the buckets being flushwith the surface of intermediate plates, a supply-hopper the lower edge of which terminates adjacent to said conveyer and lies below the axis of the lower guidewheels, and a chute supported by said frame and located beneath the upper guide-wheel.

2. The combination with an endless conveyer comprising a series of buckets, and

- plates pivotally connected at their ends to the adjoining ends of the buckets, of guide-wheels within the opposite ends of said conveyer around which it travels, the tops of the adjacent buckets and plates being flush and having overlapping edges whereby a smooth surface between the buckets is formed when the conveyer follows a curved path of movement around the guide-wheels.

3. An endless conveyer comprising a series of buckets and plates pivotally connected at their ends to the adjoining ends of the buckets, said buckets and plates being interchangeable whereby the capacity of the conveyer may be varied.

4. In a conveyer, the combination with a chain, of buckets supported by said chain, and plates also carried by the chain and interposed between the buckets thereby forming a smooth surface to guide the material falling upon the conveyer into the buckets, said buck- I ets and plates being interchangeable whereby she capacity of the conveyer may be varie 5. In a conveyer, the combination with an endless chain. of buckets supported by said chain, plates also supported by said chain between the buckets, guide-wheels within the opposite ends of said conveyer around which it travels, the tops of the buckets being flush with the surface of the plates and said buckets and plates having overlapping adjacent edges whereby a smooth surface is formed to guide the material falling upon the conveyer into the buckets and a continuous smooth surface comprising an endless chain, buckets sup- 7 ported by said chain, plates also supported by the chain between the buckets, a guide around which said chain passes located adjacent to the delivery end of said hopper, and

an apron extending downwardly from the bottom of said hopper partially around said guide and occupying a position adjacent to the path of movement of the conveyer.

7. In an endless conveyer, the combination with a chain comprising pairs of vertical links, of buckets secured between pairs of links and located below the outer edges thereof, plates also secured between pairs of links and located below the outer edges thereof,

the adjacent buckets and plates having over- 5 lapping edges.

8. In an endless conveyer, the combination with a chain comprising pairs of vertical links, of buckets secured between pairs of links and located below the outer edges of the links, 9

plates also secured between pairs of links below the outer edges thereof, whereby the outer portions of the links constitute flanges to retain the material upon the conveyer.

9. In an endless conveyer, the combination with a chain comprising pairs of vertical links,

rods extending through the ends of the adjoiiF" ---c ing pairs of links, buckets secured between pairs of links and located below the outer edges thereof, plates also secured between pairs of links and located below the outer edges thereof, and guide-wheels around which the chain passes having grooves for receiving said rods.

10. In a conveyer, an element comprising a 5 pair of vertical links, ribs projecting laterally from the opposing surfaces of the links, and a plate located between thelinks and secured to the ribs thereon.

11. In a conveyer, an element comprising a pair of vertical links, ribs projecting laterally from the opposing surfaces of the links, and a bucket located between the links and having flanges secured to the ribs thereon.

12. In a conveyer, an element comprising a I 5 pair of vertical links, ribs projecting laterally from the opposing surfaces of the links, a bucket located between the links and secured to the ribs thereon, said bucket comprising a plate having a hole therethrough, and the bucket proper secured beneath said plate and registering at its top with the hole therethrough.

13. In an endless conveyer, the combination with a chain comprising vertical links the in- 5 neredges of which are concave, of buckets carried by said chain, guide-wheels around which the chain passes, and flanges projecting from said guide-wheels adapted to be engaged by and support the chain throughout the path 3 of movement of the conveyer around the guide-wheels the peripheries of the guide- Wheels conforming in curvature to the concavity of the inner edges of the links.

14. In an endless con veyer, the combination with a chain comprising pairs of vertical links, rods extending through the ends of the adj oining pairs of links, buckets secured between pairs of links, plates also secured between pairs of links, guide-wheels around which the chain passes having grooves for receiving said rods, and circular flanges on said guide-Wheels, said flanges projecting into the path of movement of and supporting the links through engagement with the lower edges thereof.

15. The combination with an endless con- 

